Linzer Cookies

These different and delicious cookies can be eaten plain, spread with jam, or sandwiched together with jam in the middle. The recipe below gives instructions for the sandwich version.

Spread with red jam, they make pretty Valentine hearts; sprinkled with powdered evaporated cane juice, they are lovely Christmas stars.

makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
7/8 cups sifted powdered unrefined cane sugar (sold as "organic powdered sugar")
1/2 egg (beat one egg and measure half)
1 cup shelled walnuts, chopped very fine
1/4 cup fruit-sweetened red raspberry fruit spread

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour and cornstarch and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and mix well.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix until well blended.
6. Mix in walnuts.
7. Bring the dough into a ball, cover, and refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
8. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. With a cookie cutter about 1 1/2" in diameter, cut out cookies to desired shape.
9. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Chill cookies for 45 minutes.
10. Bake cookies for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.
11. Remove from oven and cool cookies on a rack.
12. While the cookies are still warm, spread half of them with the raspberry fruit spread. Top each with one of the plain cookies.
13. Sift the remaining powdered unrefined cane sugar into a shallow bowl, and press the tops and bottoms of the cookies in the cane juice to coat.